Privilege Identity Management / MFA / Passwords
1. Privileged Identity Management
Purpose: To protect privileged accounts from being compromised, as they are the most common escalation path in Active Directory environments.
Why: Attackers often target privileged accounts because they provide elevated access to critical systems. Weak or shared passwords make it easier for attackers to compromise these accounts.
Technical Example:
Use Passphrases Instead of Weak Passwords:
Educate employees to adopt passphrases instead of traditional passwords. Passphrases are longer, harder to guess, and more resistant to brute-force attacks.
Example:
"i LIK3 my coffeE warm"is easy to remember but difficult to crack due to its length and complexity.For additional security, mix words from multiple languages:
Example:
"Je v0is la m0ntagne gr@nde"(French + English with substitutions).
Enforce passphrase policies via Group Policy:
Navigate to
Computer Configuration > Policies > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Account Policies > Password Policy.Set a minimum password length of 15 characters to encourage passphrases.
Separate Admin Accounts:
Ensure that administrative accounts have unique passwords and are not shared with regular user accounts.
Use tools like Microsoft LAPS (Local Administrator Password Solution) to manage local admin passwords securely:
2. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Purpose: To add an additional layer of security by requiring users to provide multiple forms of verification before accessing privileged accounts or systems.
Why: Even if credentials are stolen, MFA makes it significantly harder for attackers to gain unauthorized access.
Technical Example:
Implement MFA for Administrative Access:
Use Azure AD Multi-Factor Authentication for cloud and hybrid environments:
Navigate to Azure Active Directory > Security > MFA.
Enable MFA for all administrative roles:
Go to Conditional Access > New Policy.
Assign the policy to administrative users/groups.
Require MFA as an access control.
Example Policy:
Name: "Require MFA for Admins"
Assignments: All users with administrative roles.
Access Controls: Require MFA.
Enforce MFA for On-Premises Systems:
Use RADIUS-based MFA solutions or integrate third-party tools like Duo Security or Okta with your on-premises Active Directory:
Configure RADIUS authentication for VPN or remote desktop access:
3. Password Best Practices
Purpose: To reduce the risk of password-based attacks such as brute force, credential stuffing, and phishing.
Why: Weak or predictable passwords are a primary attack vector. Even complex passwords like
"Password1!"can be easily cracked using precomputed password lists.Technical Example:
Enforce Strong Password Policies:
Use Group Policy to enforce strong password requirements:
Navigate to
Computer Configuration > Policies > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Account Policies > Password Policy.Set the following:
Minimum password length: 15 characters (to encourage passphrases).
Password complexity: Enabled.
Password history: 24 remembered passwords to prevent reuse.
Maximum password age: 90 days.
Example PowerShell command to check password policies:
Block Common Passwords:
Use tools like Azure AD Password Protection to block commonly used passwords and enforce custom banned password lists:
Enable Azure AD Password Protection:
Add custom banned passwords to the list:
Conclusion
To protect privileged identities, organizations must adopt a multi-layered approach:
Use Passphrases: Encourage employees to use long, memorable passphrases instead of weak passwords.
Enable MFA: Require multi-factor authentication for all administrative access to applications and devices.
Enforce Strong Password Policies: Block common passwords and enforce minimum length, complexity, and rotation requirements.
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